Does Education Make Men in Sub-Saharan Africa More Receptive to Women’s Contraceptive Behavior?

John Boateng, Pennsylvania State University
F. Nii-Amoo Dodoo, Pennsylvania State University

This study examines the influence of men’s education on the reproductive behavior of their female partners, regarding their use of modern contraception in sub-Saharan Africa. The goal is to incorporate the male perspective in the examination of the impact of men's education on the contraceptive behavior of their women. The study analyzes DHS datasets from Sub-Saharan African countries. And it looks at men whose wives do not want to have more children and see whether the men’s education make a difference. It tested the hypothesis that, the higher the level of a man’s education, the more receptive he would be to his wife's contraceptive behavior. Questions answered include what women have more say in their reproductive behavior? And how closely does their contraceptive use reflect their own preferences?